Create a Storyboard or Script
When starting to prepare for a video, you need to consider two elements; your storyboard or script and your video set-up. A storyboard is a visual description for your project. A script is a written description of your project. In either form you're not only describing the plot but all information that's important to the scene such as the mood, the setting and anything else that you think will help the audience understand the story. A storyboard or script doesn't illustrate every moment in the film. It is not a frame-by-frame breakdown of the story, but rather a scene-by-scene breakdown. In each scene, single out the essential details needed to communicate the information in that particular scene. Any video you want to produce should always begin with some sort of a plan. Planning in a film is very, very important. You save countless hours of unnecessary editing by planning. Another reason why a storyboard or script is important is because it is a way to uncover problems and to fix them while they are still easy to fix. It is a guide, a plan and a blueprint from which you will direct you film. It is taking your ideas and translating them into visual images. A storyboard or script also makes experimentation possible. You can try out new things and easily change your film when it is in the planning stage. It is also much easier to revise a storyboard or script than it is to revise the actual film. There are four things that a storyboard or script does for you. § First, it is a way to work out and discuss your ideas.
§ Second, is a visualization of how your film will look.
§ Third, it is a description of how the film is sequenced and put together.
§ Fourth, it is a step-by-step guide to making and shooting your film.
There are certain goals that you want to accomplish in creating your plan that will help you do this.
§ First is put your shots and scenes in an order that tells your story clearly.
§ Second, plan your story so that everything can be clearly understood by reading your storyboard or script.
§ Third, plan your film in the most interesting and appealing way possible for the audience.
§ Fourth, plan not only what happens in each shot, but also how fast or how slow you want it to happen.
§ Fifth, eliminate unnecessary or repetitive shots and add missing shots. Cut long boring shots and break them down into shorter more interesting shots.
§ Lastly, make sure there is a smooth, clear, logical flow from shot-to-shot and scene-to-scene.
To create a storyboard or script, you should follow three basic steps.
§ First is analysis, which is breaking down your story into its component parts.
§ Second is evaluation, which is judging and choosing what shots angles and frame sizes you will put in your project.
§ Third is synthesis, which is the process of actually developing and putting your project together.
Use variation in your transitions. Don't make them all the same. Keep changing them to keep the audience engaged. Usually, a low angle gives the feeling that the object is dominant or superior and an angle looking down gives the feeling that the object is weak and inferior. This is called "Camera Perspective".
Another thing that you need to think about is using the whole depth of the frame. Often in your plan, the movement of the characters is limited to left to right. To make it more interesting and to add a third dimension, have your characters moving towards and away from the characters at times. Also, when your characters are having interactions, you want to experiment with different perspectives instead of just having the two characters side by side. Put one character at a different angle from the other character to make the scene more interesting and three-dimensional. Make the center of interest in each scene stand out. Don’t camouflage them in the background or hide them in the shadows. Use anticipation in your scenes. There is always a physical or emotional response to every action. This is very important because the scene makes no sense if there is no reaction to each action. Indicate underneath your pictures the kind of camera movement that you want such as pan, zooming in and zooming out and whether the movement is actual or apparent. Another thing that you need to indicate is how long you want each shot to last. This is important for the timing of your movie. The timing will affect the mood of the scene and the flow of the film. Also, choose the correct frame size for each scene. Vary the frame size depending on what kind of shot you are taking and what kind of mood you want to convey. A long shot establishes location and displays mood. A midrange shot shows interactions between characters. A medium close-up shot communicates gestures. A close-up shot communicates expressions. An extreme close-up shot communicates a strong emotional impact. Your storyboard or script is not only a tool for planning a video; it is also a guide for shooting your video, bringing video into the computer, and editing the final production. Think about § What message you want to communicate
§ What kinds of shots you need to film
§ The order of the shots
§ Where music or narration would add drama and help communicate your message
§ Printing the storyboard or script to use when you film and edit your video
For this particular module, since it may be the first time many of you have worked with video, you should also start by experimenting with shots, sound, effects, and staging.
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